Exhaust-valve muffler.



E. C. GUNNARSON.

v EXHAUST VALVE MUFFLER.

APPLICATION man NOV-3.1915.

1,25 1,655. Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOCH CONRAD GUNNARSON, OF NEW YORK, N.

EXHAUST-VALVE MUFFLER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ENOCII G. GunmansoN, a citizen ofthe United States, reslding at'New York, in the county of New York, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Exhaust- Valve Mufflers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an exhaust valve mufiler which is designed particularly to be used in connection with the exhaust valve on a divers helmet.

The primary object of the invention is to eliminate the noise caused by the escaping of the air from the helmet so that the diver may readily hear messages over the telephone.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a device which may be attached to the helmets of the types used at the present time without materially altering the exhaust valve.

With these and other objects in view, such as will appear as my description progresses my invention comprises the combination an arrangement of parts as set forth in and falling within the scope of the appended claims.

In the=drawingz Figurezl is an elevational view of my device attached to a helmet.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through my device and through the exhaust valve of the ordinary type;

Fig. 3 is a sectional viewshowing the manner in which the pins on the mufller engage with the openings which extend through the adjusting nut for the valve in the exhause valve, and

Fig. 4 is a fragmental detail.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters wherein like parts are indicated by like characters throughout the several news:

I have illustrated a portion 1 of a divers helmet on which an exhaust valve is mounted. This valve consists of a casing 2 having a plurality of pin-holes 2' therein, a valve plunger 3, the rod 4 of which is encircled by a coil spring 5, the tension of which spring may be varied by an adjusting nut 6.

This is the ordinary construction of exhaust vaive and forms no art of my inven- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 1, 1918.

tion. Now when the air escapes from the helmet 1 through the pin holes in the casing 2 there is a hissing sound produced which prevents the diver from hearingmessages over the telephone and in order to obviate this defect, I have provided a muffler which changes the manner in which the air escapes from the helmet. This muffler consists of an internally threaded collar 7 which is soldered or otherwise secured to the helmet 1 and through which the valve casing 2 extends.

An externally threaded sleeve 8 is mounted.

in this collar 7 and is held in placeby set screws 9 which extend through the collar 7 and through the sleeve 8. Adj ustably mounted on the other end of the sleeve 8 is a cap 10 from the end of which extends an integral tube 11 on which is mounted a short section of rubber tube 12. Screwed into the end of the cap 10 is a plurality of pins 13 which extend inwardly into the cap and project into openings 14 which are formed in the edge of the adjusting nut 6 of the exhaust valve.

It will be readily observed that the adjusting nut 6 may be turned by the turning of the cap 10 for the pins 13 engaging in the openings 14 in the said nut.

Now in assembling the device the collar 7 is first secured to the helmet and the sleeve 8 then screwed into place and secured in such position by the set screws 9. The cap 10 is then screwed upon the end of the sleeve 8, the pins 13 having been previously removed from the collar. It is to be understood that the openings 14 have been previously formed in the adjusting nut 6. Now after the cap has been screwed upon the sleeve 8 the pins 13may be screwed into the cap so that they will engage in the openings 14 in the nut 6. The nut and cap will thereafter turn as one so that by adjusting the cap the tension on the spring 5 will be varied through the adjusting nut 6.

Now as the air escapes from the exhaust valve through the pinholes 2 it will pass through the mufiler to the cap 10 and thence escape through the rubber tube 12. The air which escapes through the pin holes 2' will pass through the space between the casing 2 and muflier and finally escape through the rubber tube 12, which tube will eliminate the vibration of the exhaust yalve and consequently will permit the diver to hear, more clearly, messages over the telephone.

Now in order that the hearing may be further facilitated, I have secured to the ordinary collar 16 which is used to retain the combined transmitter and receiver in place, a downwardly inclined tube 17 on the lower end of which is an ear piece 18, which is secured to the tube by a clamp 19. Now this brings the ear piece so that it will normally' be in contact with the ear of the diver and consequently his hearing will be facilitated. It will not be necessary for him to remove his ear from the ear piece, as when he is talking, the sound will be transmitted through the openings 20 which are usually formed in, the collar 16.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a very simple device which may be readily secured to a divers helmet and which will allow the air to exhaust from the helmet in such manner that comparatively little sound will be produced and I have so constructed the device that it may be secured to the helmets used at the present time and inclose the exhaust valve of the helmets without necessitating any great modification of the exhaust valves, the only change in the valves being the forming of the notches in the valve plunger adjusting nut.

While I have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of my invention, it has merely been for the sake of convenience and I do not wish to be limited to that particular embodiment as it is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit of the invention or exceeding the scope of the appended claims.

WVhat I claim is: 1

1. The combinationwithadiver? helmet including an exhaust valve'and an adjusting nut for the valve," ofla collar secured to the helmet, a sleeve mounted in the collar, a cap adjustably engaged with the sleeve, pins adjusta'bly and removably carried by the cap and engaging said adjusting nut to actuate the same, and a flexible tube leading from the cap.

2. The combination with a divers helmet including an exhaust valve, a casing for said valve, and a tension adjusting nut threaded in the casing and engaging said valve, of a muffler consisting of a sleeve secured to the helmet and inclosing the valve casing, a cap adjustably carried by the sleeve and provided with an air outlet and means fixed to the cap and engaging said adjusting nut to actuate the same as the cap is adjusted on the sleeve.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses. ENOCH CONRAD GUNNARSON. Witnesses:

ELMER T. MAcCoRKLE, MARION WOODCOCK. 

